The Secret to Seduction

by: Julie Anne Long

Published by: Warner Forever

Reviewed by Amanda Collins

When romance readers talk about what makes a good read, one of the first criteria to come up is voice. It's a quality difficult to explain, but easy to recognize when you run across it. When I read Julie Anne Long's debut novel, The Runaway Duke, I knew she would go far. Not because of her flawless writing (though it was), but because of her voice. Now, five books later, Long's voice is as distinctive as ever, and with The Secret to Seduction she uses that voice to tell the story of two witty but wounded lovers in a way that only she could.

The story itself, on its face, is nothing new. The coming together of the dissipated rake and the disapproving clergyman's daughter is an oft-told tale in the romance world, yet Long breathes new life into this cliche through thoughtful and detailed characterizations of the hero and heroine. Not only is Rhys Gillray, earl of Rawdon, a dissipated nobleman, he is a war hero and author of a book of poetry titled The Secret to Seduction. And while Sabrina Fairleigh might behave like a typical vicar's daughter, she is, in fact, not the natural daughter of the vicar at all, and beneath her calm exterior is a quicksilver temper.

The third novel in Long's trilogy about the Holt Sisters, The Secret to Seduction, is the charmingly sexy, and at times quite poignant story of two people who never intended to like one another, let alone fall in love. Rhys' transformation from polished seducer to besotted husband, and Sabrina's from starchy spinster to elegant countess, were a delight to witness.

Armchair Interviews says: Those who enjoy their historical romance with a dash of wit and a soupcon of true romance will adore this novel that delivers both with aplomb.

Author's Web site: http://www.JulieAnneLong.com